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Nobel Laureate Denied Princeton Tenure
8 Oct
Summary
- Carson, Nobel Literature winner, once taught at Princeton.
- Social media users criticized Princeton for denying tenure.
- Princeton declined to comment on the tenure decision.
Canadian poet and essayist Anne Carson, a recent recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, has drawn attention for her past association with Princeton University. Although she taught classics at Princeton during the 1980s, the university denied her tenure. This fact emerged after Princeton congratulated Carson on social media following her Nobel win.
The university's praise sparked backlash online, with many users sarcastically highlighting the decision not to grant her tenure. Despite the criticism, Princeton University officials stated they do not comment on their tenure processes. Carson previously taught at the University of Calgary and later at Emory and McGill Universities.
Last fall, Carson returned to Princeton to deliver a lecture to a large audience and was honored with a reception. She also taught a special undergraduate course. Notably, novelist Joyce Carol Oates suggested that academic tenure requirements can sometimes stifle a writer's freedom.
